He may appear like a rough, tough, bottom-line-obsessed businessman who shut down the escalators at the Chicago Sun-Times to save a few bucks, but those who cling to that, that ... caricature don't know the real David Radler.
The filing portrayed Mr. Radler, 65, as a deeply religious father who has suffered enough and given enormously to his community.
"Mr. Radler is a kind, decent and generous man," the filing said. ...
In yesterday's filing, lawyers for Mr. Radler urged the judge to endorse the plea bargain, citing Mr. Radler's outstanding character, his extensive co-operation with prosecutors and his heartfelt remorse for his misconduct.
To back up their case, they offered testimonials from Mr. Radler's wife, daughters and several friends. They enthused about Mr. Radler's religious devotion - he is a "fixture at synagogue" - and his extensive charitable work, including gifts to hospitals, universities, and his tireless effort to save Vancouver's NBA franchise (the team moved to Memphis in 2001).
The filing mentioned a $1-million gift Mr. Radler made to Queen's University in 2000, but failed to note that the university gave back the donation and took Mr. Radler's name off a wing of its business school after he pleaded guilty. ...
He 'never missed ballet recitals or piano recital' and 'never missed Sunday night family dinner.'
-Daughter Melanie
'I saw David go out of his way to look after employees and families who had family members that had illnesses and when one of them passed away ... David offered to pay funeral expenses when someone couldn't afford it.'
-Former colleague Bob Calvert
Mr. Calvert was a one-time publisher at the Regina Leader-Post. He came after I, er, left, and came to personify the Hollinger ethos in his own way.
And what is that ethos? Conrad Black credits his former partner Radler with inventing the three-man newsroom -- where two people also sell ads.
Radler is known for waltzing into newsrooms, complaining about the head count -- and then saying the way to solve that is to take away every fourth desk (at the L-P, about one-quarter of the staff lost their jobs during the 1996 downsizing).
He has basically admitted in some newspaper interviews to enjoying the smell of fear on employees.
Radler's generosity to a few ill employees didn't extend to the vast swath of L-Pers who were artfully low-balled on their severance packages, fired basically to boost the profitability of an already-profitable newspaper.
While the fact he never missed Sunday dinner makes me see him in a new light, I hope the court hears a fuller version of his character.
And maybe that's the lesson here: We never really know someone until they're facing sentencing.